Late, weak El Niño arriving in U.S. unlikely to provide much relief for California

By Daniel Kelly on March 11, 2015

Forcasts have predicted an El Nino since March 2014. (Credit: NOAA)

El Niño has finally arrived in the United States, according to The Guardian. The weather phenomenon has been absent since the spring of 2010, but scientists expect the long-awaited El Niño will yield few results because it is weaker than El Niños of the past.

Relief for drought-stricken California will be minimal, as the Golden State is just seeing the end of its rainy season. But if the phenomenon continues on into California’s next rainy season, the state could see some relief. Scientists also say that the number of hurricanes developing in the Atlantic Ocean could be reduced if El Niño persists long enough.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration first spotted signs of the current El Niño about a year ago, according to Newser. The weather pattern was simply too weak for the agency to make a declaration that it was active at that time.